1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to drilling apparatus and methods, in general, and drilling apparatus and methods for managing the cementing operations, including early component removal.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to the conventional methodology/techniques, production casing such as, for example, 9⅝ inch production casing, is cemented through utilization of a diverter and/or blowout preventer (BOP). Specifically, the diverter and/or BOP provides the cement back pressure until the cement is bonded. This generally results in the drilling rig having to wait and/or remain idle during the bonding process. That is, if the drilling diverter is used to provide the cement back pressure, the drilling diverter cannot be released by the drilling rig until after substantial bonding has occurred. If the BOP is utilized, the drilling rig must remain adjacent the well to provide BOP control until the cement is bonded and the BOP can be removed.
It has therefore been recognized that according to conventional techniques, the drilling diverter and/or BOP cannot be released before the cement is bonded. As such, the drilling rig generally cannot be re-tasked until cement bonding is complete, resulting in substantial drilling rig non-utilization. In order to reduce drilling rig time, a mandrel-type casing hanger has been employed. Such methodology, however, is a very high cost and requires substantial additional components, complicating cementing operations.